The Death of Superman arc was a major shakeup not just for the comics industry as a whole, but DC Comics specifically when it was published between December 1992 and October 1993. Hailed as a risky milestone event to re-contextualize a character of whom readers had taken advantage, it remains one of the seminal events in the comics history, and revitalized the character for  modern readers, and continues to inspire stories nearly 30 years after its publication. A similar event, from January 1993, in the pages of writer Dennis O'Neill's Birth Of The Demon, managed to not only kill off Batman, but resurrect him, and yet this tale remains comparatively unknown.

Birth Of The Demon is the story of recurring villain Ra's al Ghul's early life, centuries prior to his first confrontations with Batman. Beginning with Batman tracking down one of the next Lazarus Pits that Ra's uses to prolong his life, the story progresses to Batman growing sick after falling into some industrial runoff. Desperate to stop Ra's before he succumbs to his sickness, Batman races to track down the next Lazarus Pit before it is uncovered, and is relayed the tale of Ra's al Ghul's early life, via Talia, Ra's daughter and Batman's love interest.

Related: Every Version Of Ra's Al Ghul On Screen

Going back some six-hundred years, Ra's was physician to a Sultan in a nameless city, and enjoyed some privilege in their court, and was married to a woman named Sora, on whom the Sultan's son had his eye. Curious and investigating mystic abilities, Ra's discovers the first Lazarus Pit, and uses it to cure the sultan's son, who had fallen ill. Not realizing the Pit induces temporary insanity, the Sultan's son attacks and kills Sora, an act for which Ra's is blamed, and imprisoned, to cover for the Sultan's son. Escaping from a slow death in an underground prison, Ra's teams up with a gang of bandits, of whom his uncle is leader, and enacts revenge on the Sultan and his city: killing all the citizens, razing the city, destroying its records, and erasing --- as completely as possible --- all traces of its existence, and the story of his early life and abilities forced into secrecy.

Cutting back to the present, a feverish Batman realizes Ra's has arrived, listening in as his daughter relayed this story. Ra's, grown old and in need of the newly uncovered Lazarus Pit, and Batman fight furiously, knowing that only one of them will be able to fully utilize the Pit's power. A vicious battle between the both of them ensue, with one inflicting critical damage on the other. Feverish and growing delirious, Batman --- having taken off his cape and cowl and shirt --- can't stop Ra's as he is beaten with a flaming log. Half his head and fired burnt, he pushes his enemy into the ground. Ra's reaches behind him, grabs a shovel, and buries it deep in Batman's chest.

Feverish, bleeding profusely, and burnt halfway to a crisp, Batman grabs Ra's, and together they tumble into the Lazarus Pit, which is now ablaze, and being quickly buried by a desert massive storm. After an undetermined time, Batman emerges from the sand, healed, and slightly crazed, and wanders into the desert (where battles with Ra's often play out). Coming in the middle of Superman's multi-title arc, and featuring a villain who --- while deadly and cunning --- is not as ubiquitous or colorful as, say, the Joker, it was easy for this potent, focused story to go relatively unnoticed, although it has no less impact. While the larger impact of the death of Superman would spread over several months, and across the entire DC Universe, here, Batman's death and resurrection is played out within a single issue. Ra's would continue to be a foil for the Dark Knight in the ensuing years, even becoming part of his extended family. But he has the unique distinction of being one of the few villains to actually kill Batman.

Next: Batwoman Teases Return Of Arrowverse's Ra's Al Ghul & Talia